Can't Find My Way Home
by Kirby Minion of Doom
Summary: ...I don't like summaries...just read it...Personally I think it's bad >
1. Default Chapter

Can't Find My Way Home  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Authoress' Note  
  
Khaki: Hiya friends and non friends and, and...MOO!!  
  
Miku·Zaro: Chill, Khaki-chan, just chill...  
  
Khaki: Oh, quiet Miku-kun! Anyways, here's the summary for this story; Seto Kaiba can't look after his little brother, Mokuba, all the time, so he hires a nanny for him, who turns out to be Téa Gardner. But when Seto finds her, will he find other things, too? Love, angst, happiness, discoveries, memories, and a new friend. These are what await the young saishu, if only he would allow it.  
  
Miku·Zaro: You are seriously twisted...  
  
Khaki: Well, you're just too serious...AND SINCE WHEN IS MY BEING TWISTED A BAD THING???  
  
Miku·Zaro: I won't answer that but you know the answer. Anyways, Khaki the Kirby Minion of Doom does not own anything copyrighted in this. She just owns me and the story.  
  
Khaki: *mumbles* Tryin' to change the subject...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 1: Rainy Day  
  
It was the middle of the night and Seto Kaiba was still typing on his computer. 'Gotta get this research finished,' he thought. He was working on his homework and was almost finnished. Seto was a 15-year-old orphan along with his brother, Mokuba. Their parents died when they were real young. Ever since then, they've lived on their own at a shrine. Seto had dark brown hair that was in a bowl-cut and cobalt blue eyes. He was about 6'1 with a sort of confined personality, in other words, he was really antisocial. He paused only for a moment to hear a soft knock at the door. "Mokuba?" he asked. The door opened to reveal Mokuba with his hands over his eyes, shielding the glow given off by the computer. Mokuba was a 10- year-old boy and had the disease called Zaradurma, which means he's photosensitive. He was sometimes referred to as a "moonchild". He had long, untamed jet black hair and navy blue eyes. He was about 4'3 with a very sweet personality, he loved everyone that came to visit the shrine.  
  
"Mokuba, you should never come in my room unless you tell me first," said Seto, getting up from his chair and walked out of the door, closing it behind him. Mokuba looked up at him through his unruly black mane. Seto lit a candle and knelt down so he was eye-level with his younger brother.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Seto asked. Mokuba tugged on his brother's sleeve.  
  
"Seto, you need to go to bed," pleaded the child. Seto sighed and stood up, towering over his little brother.  
  
"I'll go to bed in an hour, Mokuba. Now, I think it's time for you to go to sleep." Mokuba nodded and walked back to his room, closing the door behind him. Seto blew out the candle and continued to work on his program. 'This is getting hard,' the young saishu (shrine priest) thought to himself. 'I can't be here all the time for Mokuba. Between schoolwork and the shrine, I can't look after him. I need to hire someone, like a sitter, or a nanny, or something. Yeah, I'll hire someone. I'll do it in the morning though. I've got to get this homework done tonight.' Seto continued to stare at the computer screen, typing away at his keyboard.  
  
The next morning, Seto woke up at his computer, and remembered what he was going to do. He did the only thing that he could think of and went into a chat room to try and find someone to take up on his job offer. He saw lots of people in the room, but one in particular caught is eye.  
  
Unity Demon: Hello, Caonaought's Virtue, might I ask your name?  
  
Caonaought's Virtue: Hiya, Unity Demon, my name's Téa Gardner. What's yours?  
  
Unity Demon: My name is Seto Kaiba.  
  
Caonaought's Virtue: Hmm...I think I've heard of you somewhere...but I can't seem to remember where. Anyways, nice to meet you!  
  
Unity Demon: Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you as well, but where do you live?  
  
Caonaought's Virtue: Oh, I just moved to Cairoitte City. I haven't gotten settled in yet, I'm in a hotel on my laptop.  
  
Unity Demon: That's good, because I was wondering if I could meet you in person. What do you look like so that I can know what to look for?  
  
Caonaought's Virtue: Well, I have shoulder-length, brown hair, I have blue eyes, I'm 15, and I'm about 5'8. What about you?  
  
Unity Demon: I have brown hair, blue eyes, I'm 15, and I'm about 6'1.  
  
Caonaought's Virtue: Great! Let's meet at that Ice Cream Parlor?  
  
Unity Demon: Alright, let's say about 4:00 this afternoon? Unless since it's Saturday, you have something planned?  
  
Caonaought's Virtue: No no, that's perfect! Well, I g2g. Sayonara!  
  
Unity Demon: Sayonara.  
  
'Well,' Seto thought, 'that went better then I thought it would. Now all I have to is meet this Téa Gardner, and see if she wants the job.' Seto smiled one of his rare smiles, shut his computer down, and lit another candle. There were no lights in the house, due to Mokuba's condition, and the curtains and blinds where always kept closed whenever he was around. They must have gone through at least 25 candles a week. Seto made his way to Mokuba's room and quietly entered. Mokuba was sleeping and Seto didn't have the heart to wake him.  
  
'Besides it's only,' Seto looked at his watch and a look of surprise crossed his face, '3:45?! How'd it get so late?! I've got to go if I want to get to the parlor on time!' Seto dashed through the house and put the candle out when he got to the door. He grabbed his coat and keys and ran to his car, and drove off.  
  
Téa waited patiently in a booth at the parlor. She glanced at her watch.  
  
'It's about 5 till, guess I'm a little early,' she thought. She began to think of other topics, when she spotted Seto Kaiba walk through the door. He looked around, trying to find Téa. She recognized him right away, so she stood up and waved. He inwardly smiled and walked over to her. They stood before each other and bowed traditionally. Then they both sat down and just stared at each other for a while. Possibly trying to take in the other's features. Finally, Seto spoke up.  
  
"Well, I guess I should tell you why I was so intent on meeting you face-to- face," he said. Téa listened attentively. "You see, I have a job that I'd like to offer you, and I needed someone right away, so I went to a chat room and saw Caonaought's Virtue. You sounded nice so I decided to talk to you and see if you would try it out."  
  
"Sure," said Téa in a bouncy tone, her eyes lighting up. "What is it you want me to do?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.  
  
'Wow, she's very attractive,' Seto thought, but then shook his head. 'Wait, no she's not! GAH! ...But she does look kinda cute when she cocks her head like that...' Seto let out a small chuckle. Téa sighed softly. 'Gosh, he's so cute...wait, what am I doing?! If I get the hots for an employer, then I might lose my job!'  
  
"Anyways," started Seto, "I want to hire you as a sitter for my little brother, sort of a nanny."  
  
"Oh," said Téa, "well, that sounds good to me! How old is he?"  
  
"He's 10."  
  
"Oh, I just thought he would be a little younger. Why does he need a nanny?"  
  
"Well, you see, Mokuba, my little brother, he's got Zaradurma, so he can't be exposed to light much stronger than that of a candle or fireplace. He's photosensitive. And I can't be there all the time for him. I don't have lights in my house, so we use candles and the fireplace. We also don't have a T.V. or a radio, but we have a library, so you might want to bring something to occupy yourself with."  
  
"Alright. So, what hours are we talking about here?"  
  
"Well...I was hoping for 24-7 assistance..." 'She's gonna say no, I know she is.'  
  
"Okay." Seto looked at Téa with surprise. He didn't expect such a sure answer out of her, but whatever. He had hired someone to help him take care of his brother. Seto looked at his watch again.  
  
"Téa," Seto said, "I guess I should go ahead and get home. You can join me if you like." Téa stood up and nodded.  
  
"Sure, I'll come!" she said happily. Seto stood and nodded as well and led Téa through the parking lot. But when they got to his car, it was banged up. The hood was bashed in and all of the windows had been busted. Téa let out a gasp, while Seto just gaped.  
  
'This is a BAD day,' thought Seto to himself. "Well," he sighed, turning to Téa, "would you rather me call a cab, or do you want to walk?" Téa looked up at him and shook her head.  
  
"No, that's okay," she replied, "I'd rather walk if it's alright with you."  
  
"Okay." So they started walking to Seto's house. Téa was tired of hearing nothing but silence, so she started up a conversation. "So, what do you do, ya know, like a hobby of some sorts?"  
  
"I don't really have a hobby," Seto said. "What about you?"  
  
"Well, I like to dance."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. I study ballet."  
  
"You'll have to show me sometime."  
  
"Okay! I've been meaning to practice in front of an audience! This is gonna be so cool! It'll be so much fun!" Seto laughed at her enthusiasm.  
  
'I'm glad I met her,' he thought. 'She seems nice and I don't have any real friends.'  
  
Back behind them a ways, a group of gangsters followed them with wide grins.  
  
Téa kept looking behind her, and apparently, Seto noticed.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"I think those guys are following us," Téa whispered a bit worriedly. Seto looked back and groaned.  
  
"Oh no. Look," he said, pointing to a house, "there's my house, if we run straight there, maybe they won't follow us anymore. Come on, let's hurry before they catch up to us!" Téa nodded and began to run followed by Seto. And, as if on cue, it began to rain; quite heavily at that, too. But still, they ran, and so did the men behind them. Téa slipped and fell on her ankle. A large wave of pain ran through her body and she screamed. Seto stopped immediately to turn around and help his new friend. He knelt down beside her and put one hand on her back and one on her ankle.  
  
"Can you stand up?" he asked. Téa nodded.  
  
"Yes, but I don't think I can walk very well," she said. Seto nodded and with one hand, clutched her around her shoulders, and slipped his other hand under both of her legs and picked her up. The large man in front, signaled his groupies to hurry and they gave chase once more, while Seto ran as fast as he could while carrying Téa.  
  
The streets were cold and wet from the rain, but that didn't stop Seto from trying to help Téa. The men continued to chase the two teenagers down the empty streets of Cairoitte City. Seto wouldn't look back; maybe afraid of knowing that their attackers were right behind them, or it could have been that he was too occupied in worrying about Téa. 'Why the heck am I worried about her so much?!' Seto thought to himself. 'I just met her for crying out loud! But oh well, she can't even hardly walk, let alone defend herself against three fully grown men!' Téa felt Seto's heart beat faster with every minute. 'Why does he care so much about me for?' she thought. 'I mean, hear I am, in a chatroom one minute, and the next, I'm being carried to safety by some random guy to his house! This is all too complicated, but now I guess I'll have to take his job offer. It's the least I could do as gratitude for him saving my life like this.' Téa held closer to Seto's chest and clutched his trench coat, while Seto felt a blush suddenly cross his face.  
  
The men started to gang on the two, so Seto quickly ducked into an alley. And, just as he thought, the three gangsters missed them and kept heading straight. Seto let out a sigh of relief and shifted Téa in his arms. Téa looked up at Seto. "Doomo arigato gozaimasu, Seto," she said quietly. Seto softened his gaze and looked down at the girl in his arms.  
  
"No problem," he replied. She nodded. "Téa, what I want you to do is to reach into my back pocket, pull out my phone, and dial '01213'. Just say 'Seto Kaiba, two blocks North, fourth alley, East." Téa nodded and slipped her hand through his trench coat, and put her hand in his back pocket.  
  
"Other side," said Seto, feeling the blush come back. Téa muttered an apology before pulling out the small phone from Seto's other pocket. She followed his instructions and soon, a cab was there to pick them up. Once in the car, there was an awkward silence between the two teenagers. The 15- yeahr-old saishu finally turned to his new female companion and began to speak.  
  
"So, are you going to be alright with that ankle of yours?" he asked. Téa nodded hesitantly.  
  
"Yeah, don't worry, I think I'll live over a sprain!" Téa replied sanguinely. Seto laughed a bit at this. Never had he seen someone so optimistic and beautiful- wait, where did that word come from? Beautiful? Téa? Oh well.  
  
'She just looks so much like my mother...' Seto thought to himself. Téa saw Seto's face begin to change into a more thoughtful look and wondered what he could be thinking about.  
  
"Seto?" she asked softly. He turned to look at her. "Are you alright? You seem sort of troubled. Is there anything I can do to help?" Seto shook his head.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, sir," came a voice from the driver's seat, "we've arrived."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Like it? Hate it? Whatever, there it is!  
  
~Khaki~ 


	2. Mommy's Scrap Book

Authoress' Note  
  
Khaki: Hiya!  
  
Miku·Zaro: -_-; Oh Lord.  
  
Khaki: Shut up, you! Anyways, here's the second chapter for anyone who's reading it.if ANYONE besides Kaehimi is reading this! T_T I'm so happy! I got one review! I didn't even expect THAT much!  
  
Miku·Zaro: Get over it. Anyways, Khaki the kirby minion of doom does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!.she just owns me.T_T Why me? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 2: Mommy's Scrap Book  
  
"So, this is Mokuba?" Téa whispered. Seto nodded. He looked at his little sleeping brother from the doorway. "He's adorable. I wish I had a sibling. I'm an only child, and my dad made me leave home because my mom died and he didn't have enough money to take care of me." Seto looked painfully at Mokuba. Parents. That word struck him in the heart. He hated that word, loathed it.  
  
"Seto?" came a voice from the room, "are you alright, big brother?" Seto looked down and saw his brother coming towards him. Seto's eyes softened.  
  
"Hey, kid," said the older Kaiba, kneeling down so he could hug his little brother. Mokuba rushed to Seto and wrapped his arms around him. Seto embraced him and kissed the top of his head. "How are you, Mokuba?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine, Seto. Where did you go?" Seto looked at Téa. She stooped down to their level and looked at Mokuba.  
  
"Hi there, Mokuba. I'm Téa Gardner, nice to meet you," she said. She held out her hand for him to shake and he took it.  
  
"Are you going to be my new nanny?" asked the small child. Seto and Téa looked at each other, then Téa looked back.  
  
"Yes I am," she said with a smile.  
  
"Okay. You won't leave, will you?"  
  
"Iie, of course not."  
  
"That's what the others said, but they left anyways."  
  
"Well, I can assure you that I won't leave. Besides, I owe your brother my life." At this, Mokuba was confused. He looked back and forth between Seto and Téa, before his gaze rested on Seto.  
  
"What does she mean, Oniisan?" Seto laughed and shrugged.  
  
"Long story, kid. Now, do you want some lunch?" asked Seto. immediately trying to change the subject. Mokuba nodded and the two teens stood. "Go ahead, Mokuba, we'll be right there," said Seto. Mokuba looked confused.  
  
"But, Seto, what about the light?"  
  
"Don't worry, we closed all the blinds before we came up."  
  
"Okay!" And with that, the little ball of hair dashed down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. Téa looked up at Seto.  
  
"Thank you, again, for saving me, Seto," she said. Seto smiled down at her.  
  
"You don't have to thank me, Téa."  
  
"Well, I want to."  
  
"You're already showing your gratitude by looking after Mokuba for me. You don't have to do anymore. Oh, and I see that your ankle is much better."  
  
"Yeah." She stomped her foot on the ground to show how sturdy it was. "Ya know, I think I'm really gonna like working here. And since you need 24 hour assistance, I guess that makes this my new home, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess it does.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go ahead downstairs and find Mokuba." Seto nodded and watched Téa skip down the stairs.  
  
'She's even got the heart like my mother,' Seto thought to himself. 'I think I know her from somewhere. But where? Hm, I wonder...' His mind trailed to other thoughts as he walked to the library.  
  
He stayed there the whole day, looking through family albums and picture cases, when at last, he found what he was looking for. He had found his mother's scrap book. She was an artist; she had put all of her favorite pictures in there, along with her children's. He was about to put it up, when a letter fell out from the binding. it was stained yellow from aging and the edges were torn. It was addressed to him.  
  
Seto looked in awe at the paper and unfolded it. He took a deep breath and began to read:  
  
Dear Seto, How is my little one? Ha, well, I guess if you're reading this then you're not so little then, are you? I know that I wasn't always around for you and your brother, but I'd still like to make up for it. I don't know how, but I do. There is something you must know about Téa Gardner. Yes, I know that you hired her to help you with James. I saw it in my visions. That young woman, Seto, is your stepsister, and my daughter. Yes, I adopted you. But I didn't have the heart to tell you, I loved you so much and I always will. I never knew your real mother. I'm sorry. Your shrine will always have its ups and downs, but if you remember this, you will always prosper- -Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.  
  
Forever and always, Sakura Gardner  
  
And that was it. Seto stared, unbelieving what he had just read. Was it true? Was Téa really his adopted sister? Was she really his stepsister? If so, was Mokuba his real brother? Or had he just thought so? As soon as he finds one answer, a hundred more questions reveal themselves. He buried his head in his hands and did the unthinkable. He began to cry. Yes, even Seto Kaiba, the emotionless jerk everyone amounts him to, can cry. He didn't know why he was crying, it was just so frustrating that he couldn't take it. Soft footsteps came towards him and a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.  
  
"Seto?" came a familiar feminine voice. Seto looked up, not daring to wipe the tears that stained his face. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Yes, there is. Something's bothering you and I'd like to know what."  
  
"...I can't tell you."  
  
"You can't? Or you won't?"  
  
"Neither."  
  
"Well," said Téa, standing and heading to the door, "If you won't tell me what's wrong, then I guess I'll just have to wait. But if you ever need to talk, I'm available." Seto watched Téa walk out of the door and down the hall, closing the curtains as she went.  
  
'That's right,' he thought to himself. 'I don't remember much after my mom died, but I do remember a sister...a sister named Téa Gardner. How can I tell her? Besides, even if I do, she either won't believe me, or she won't remember it. But hey, she seems to be picking up how to take care of Mokuba pretty fast.' Seto up and left from his chair to down the hall and stopped at his brother's door. He peered inside to see Téa, tucking him in bed.  
  
"G'night, Téa," mumbled the half-asleep child from his sheets. Téa smiled and brushed Mokuba's bangs from his eyes.  
  
"Good night, Mokuba," Téa whispered. "Remember, do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." Seto's eyes went wide. His mother's letter was true. Téa was his adopted sister. But what did she mean by "stepsister"? That must mean that Sakura was with his real father. But, if she wasn't his real mother, then she had to have been his stepmother and that Téa was in fact, his stepsister. It all added up. It all made sense. But, how did fate find them and bring them together once again?  
  
"Seto?" said Téa, now infront of Seto. "I put Mokuba to bed. Do you want to talk now?" Seto nodded. "Okay." Téa took his hand and pulled him downstairs to the living room infront of the fireplace. She sat down, pulling him with her. "Now," she said, "what do you wanna talk about?"  
  
"I don't know," Seto said in a flat tone. "I mean, I want to talk, but I don't know how. No, I mean, I don't know how to put what I want to talk about in words."  
  
"Okay...so, what do you want to do? It's only about 8:30 and I'm kind of bored."  
  
"Yeah, so am I. I usually just spend my time in the library or taking care of the shrine, not much fun, huh?" They both thought for a minute until Téa's eyes lit up.  
  
"Hey! I got an idea! It's probably no good, but I'd like to show you some of what I learned at dance."  
  
"Sure, why not?" So Seto led her upstairs and into a large room; not any room in particular, just a room. He looked at a few statues, then pulled a ring out of a dragon statue's mouth. The wall behind it began to rise. Téa's eyes lit up again and she absently began to walk into the massive room now displayed before the two teenagers.  
  
It was a magnificent ballroom. The floors were of gray-marble and the walls of silver. The ceiling was painted dark blue, almost black, with millions of stars and a full moon. There were little trees in the corners with benches on either side of them. All of this made it look like a big outdoors dancing arena.  
  
"Thought you might like this," Seto said to Téa, who was still gaping at the room. Téa laughed and shot into the ballroom like a bullet. She closed her eyes as she got to the middle of the room, spread her arms out and began to twirl around.  
  
"How did you afford this?" she asked after she stopped. Seto shrugged.  
  
"Show me your moves, I want to see them," he said. Téa nodded and began to dance. Not too fast and not too slow, just ballet.  
  
Seto was mesmerized by her graceful movements. Suddenly, he felt the urge to just go out there and dance with her. But the only problem was, he didn't know how to dance. Well, ballroom dancing he could do but she was a ballerina, and he doubted that she knew how. All of a sudden, Seto's conscious came out to play.  
  
'All the more reason to do it,' it said. 'What? Why? So you could teach her. With the point being? You'd get to hold her. You're really out to get me, aren't you? I'm you, remember? No you're not. I'm not that- how can I put this formally?- persistent. Yes you are. You wanted her from the minute you saw her. Okay, now you've just gone overboard. And knowing that she's partially family doesn't stop you either, does it? LEAVE ME ALONE! Pftch, you're no fun. See ya later, Seto.' Seto's mind submerged into the deep, dark depths of.well, his mind, and Seto focused on Téa...who was now sitting beside him on one of the benches and had been calling his name for the tenth time.  
  
"Seto," she yelled kind of worriedly, "answer me! Are you okay? Seto!"  
  
"It's alright, I'm fine...I was just...thinking," he replied. Téa's voice softened.  
  
"Ya wanna talk about it?"  
  
"...yes."  
  
"Would it be better if I asked questions, instead of you starting from scratch?"  
  
"...yes."  
  
"Okay. Is it about you?"  
  
"...yes."  
  
"Is it about me?  
  
"...yes."  
  
"Is it about something that happed a long time ago?"  
  
"...yes." Téa sighed. She thought so. She now remembered where she had seen this boy before. Her childhood. This was her stepbrother...the one that everyone said had died. He wasn't dead. Oh no, this boy was very much alive and well. This boy was Seto Kaiba.  
  
"I know," she whispered. Seto looked up at her. She had her head in her hands and was sobbing quietly. "I know where I remember you from, now. You were my stepbrother, my adopted brother. Everyone said you were dead. So I gave up looking. I didn't know. Oh, Seto..." She flung herself on Seto and cried on his shoulder.  
  
Seto couldn't help it any longer. He wrapped his arms around Téa and buried his face into her hair and cried with her. They sat there in the ballroom, on a bench, in the dark, crying on each other, with a single candle to light the room. And all the while, Mokuba stood watching from the doorway.  
  
"Téa?" he whispered to himself. "Our adopted sister?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Khaki: Okay, yeah, it IS a little original.  
  
Miku·Zaro: A little?  
  
Khaki: Okay, so I changed everything except the characters! You'll live! Oh, and please review! I'm sorry it's so boring! 


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